Better Writers, Better Readers

Conference/Office Hours: My office hours are from 1:40-2:40pm (period 6) Monday-Friday. To ensure you receive the individual time you might need, please schedule your conferences at least two days in advance. If you cannot reach me during the school day you may email me afterward to set up a meeting time.

Class Description: As we work through essays, narratives, and compositions, students are expected to develop college-level writing, researching, and analytical skills. To meet these goals, students will build upon the analytical and writing skills developed in their former ELA classes. To exceed all expectations, students will perform with the goal of creating extensive and sophisticated college papers. Through close reading and analysis of selected text, students will develop the composition and research skills necessary for higher level college work. Additionally, reflective journal entries and an extensive research paper are required.

Demonstrate the ability to explain different texts; expanding and further developing your analytical skills.

Develop knowledge of research tools and gain confidence in using techniques and sources.

Further refine grammar and writing mechanics.

GRADING POLICY

30% Journal & Reflective Writings

40% Participation (in-class and on-line) & Attendance

40% Final Research Essay with annotated bibliography

Texts and Supplies

Hacker, Diana. The Bedfored Handbook, 7th ed. Boston: Bedford Books.

The Brief Bedford Reader, 10th edition and selected text.

A good college-level pocket dictionary

Spiral notebook, college ruled

Regular access to a word processor, printer, and Internet

Extended Expectations

Journal & Reflective Writings: 20 journal reflections of 250-words, most of which will be written in class in your spiral-bound notebook. Any reflection written outside of class should be carefully planned and revised, typed, double-spaced, and submitted on time. Your journal will be collected periodically, unannounced, for grading. Journal entries must be at least two hand-written pages (no more than 3) in response to reading material covered in class. Your entries must be self-reflective and address points made during class discussion.

All typed writing assignments must be in times new roman, 12 point font and double spaced. If a hard copy is required all margins must be 1 inch.

Participation (in-class and on-line) & Attendance: Students will quickly become active members of classroom discussion, providing at least two talking points for each discussion in order to receive partial credit. The quality and thoughtfulness of the response will warrant the appropriate grade. Just as journals are meant to be reflections of the learning process, so too are class discussions. From discussion, students will create higher level discourse from which they will draw during the research writing process. A lack of participation will result in automatic failure of the course.

Note on Attendance: This class meets only 3 days a week for approximately 18 weeks (50 days). Missing one day is equivalent to missing almost an entire week of material. Because our time is limited and valuable, you are allowed two unexcused absences only. Your third unexcused absence and each subsequent unexcused absence will result in a drop of one point each on your final grade for the course. Two unexcused latenesses of more than ten minutes count as one unexcused absence: Come to class every day on time and prepared for discussion.

Research Paper: Students will work to complete a 7-page research paper based on five sources from a completed annotated bibliography and following the MLA format described in The Bedford Handbook. Grades will be earned based on satisfactory completion of the various stages of the research process as well as on your final paper, which must be submitted with any note cards, drafts, and an annotated bibliography with at least 10 sources and following the procedure and MLA format described in The Bedford Handbook.

The final paper, on a literary subject of your choice, is due in class on Monday, June 21, 2010. You will be graded on notes taken during the research process, the quality and substantial revision of at least three drafts, and the overall quality of writing, e.g. correct use grammar covered throughout the course. No late papers will be accepted. The project is worth 40% of your grade, without it you cannot pass the course.

Plagiarism: It is unethical to present as one’s own work the ideas or words of another without the proper indication of the source. Plagiarism on any assignment will result in a failing grade for that assignment and can lead to failure of the course.